''Jiggy Forever'' is the debut

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

by Nigerian singer and producer

Young Jonn John Saviours Udomboso (born 16 February 1995), known professionally as Young Jonn, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer, currently signed to Chocolate City Music. He is also known for his hit singles Dada and the remix with David ...

. It was released on 12 April 2024, through Chocolate City Music, and features collaborations from Kizz Daniel, Seyi Vibez,

Don Jazzy Michael Collins Ajereh (born 26 November 1982), known professionally as Don Jazzy, is a Nigerian music executive, record producer, singer, songwriter, businessman, and philanthropist. He founded the record label Mavin Records in 2012, as a sub ...

, Zlatan,

Blaqbonez Emeka Akumefule (born 29 January 1996), known professionally as Blaqbonez, is a Nigerian rapper and singer signed to Chocolate City. Blaqbonez is popularly known for his distinct rap style as well as his creative ingenuity. In 2019, he was prof ...

Sean Paul Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques (born 9 January 1973) is a Jamaican dancehall musician. Paul's first album, ''Stage One'', was released in 2000. He gained international fame with his second album, ''Dutty Rock'', in 2002. Its single "Get Busy ...

and Ya Levis. Production was handled by P.Priime, ePianoh, Telz, BabyBeatz, Magicsticks, Yung Willis, Jhay2unez, T Mode, Ragee, Blaisebeatz and Jaytunes. The album serves as a follow-up to ''Love Is Not Enough, Vol. 2'' (2022).

Background and promotion

''Jiggy'' Forever was created spontaneously, with Young Jonn recording songs without initially planning an album. He later selected tracks that conveyed the emotions he wanted for his debut. The album embodies the "Jiggy Era," which he describes as a lifestyle of "staying fresh, staying fly, staying above all of the noise." A deeply personal track, "Stronger," reflects on the loss of his mother, with Jonn sharing, "I wasn’t planning on recording this type of song... It wasn’t something I was keen to share because they were emotions I had buried. But when I started recording, I knew that I had to see it through because it was bigger than me." This period of growth through hardship is central to the album's themes of resilience and self-expression. The album's release date was announced on 5 April 2024. ''Jiggy Forever'' was promoted with a North American tour, with concerts all around places such as

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, Silver Spring,

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and

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Music and lyrics

''Jiggy Forever'' delves into themes of love, ambition, heartbreak, and loss. The album opens with "Tony Montana," where he confidently asserts his identity, while "Pot of Gold" uses the Erhu to explore the pursuit of wealth and happiness. Tracks like "Aquafina" and "Big Big Things" delve into love and desire, revealing Young Jonn's complex approach to relationships. A poignant moment arises in "Stronger," a tribute to his mother that confronts personal pain, contrasted by the sensual "Hold On," featuring Sean Paul. Concluding with "Go Hard," which explores brotherhood and resilience, the album navigates themes of love, ambition, and personal growth but occasionally lacks emotional depth and lyrical sophistication, indicating areas for refinement as he evolves as an artist.Ibiale, Hope
“Jiggy Forever” Review: Young Jonn’s Clear-Cut Delivery Dulls the Excitement of His Debut Album

Afrocritik Afrocritik is a digital media platform that focuses on African art, entertainment, fashion, music, movies, and culture. It was established in 2021 by Samson Jikeme and Owanate Max-Harry. History Afrocritik was established by Nigerian lawyers ...

. 16 April 2024.

Critical reception

Hope Ibiale of

noted that ''Jiggy Forever'' effectively explores the album's themes of love, hustle, heartbreak, and grief, positioning it as a significant declaration of Young Jonn's identity; however, it ultimately fell short in emotional depth and lyrical sophistication, receiving a rating of 5.3/10. As Ibiale stated, "the same lacklustre delivery and sparse lyrics on the project rob Young Jonn of the glamour and excitement expected from a debut album."Ibiale, Hope
“Jiggy Forever” Review: Young Jonn’s Clear-Cut Delivery Dulls the Excitement of His Debut Album

. 16 April 2024. In Adeayo Adebiyi's review for Pulse Nigeria, he described ''Jiggy Forever'' as a collection of enjoyable but formulaic songs that ultimately failed to provide a compelling listening experience, as Young Jonn relied heavily on familiar

Amapiano Amapiano is a genre of music from South Africa that became popular in mid-2012 with an earlier regular occurrence on South African radio stations in the early 2000s. It is a hybrid of kwaito, deep house, gqom, jazz, soul, and lounge music char ...

production throughout the 16 tracks; the review highlighted that despite showcasing his potential as an

Afrobeats Afrobeats, not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing, is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Ghana, Nigeria, and the UK in the 2000s and 2010s. Afrobeats is less of a st ...

hitmaker, the album suffered from monotony and a lack of experimentation, receiving a rating of 6.9/10. Adebiyi noted, "Young Jonn failed to do this on his debut LP," emphasizing the need for more creativity in his approach.Adebiyi, Adeayo
Young Jonn's hesitation to step away from the familiar stunts his debut LP
Pulse Nigeria. 17 April 2024. Culture Custodian's review of ''Jiggy Forever'' was recognized as Young Jonn's debut album that, while showcasing his vocal prowess and the potential for engaging themes about youthful wealth, ultimately faltered due to its repetitive nature and a lack of thematic depth across its 16 tracks; the review noted, "For a sixteen-track album, ''Jiggy Forever'' does not have enough material or melody to make each song stand out." The album's highlights came from guest features that added personality, but overall, it struggled with homogeneity and failed to deliver a compelling listening experience.

Track listing

Personnel

* John "Young Jonn" Udomboso – vocals, writer * Sean Paul Henriques – vocals, writer * Oluwatobiloba "Kizz Daniel" Anidugbe – vocals, writer * Michael "Don Jazzy" Ajereh – vocals, writer * Emeka "Blaqbonez" Akumefule – vocals, writer * Omoniyi "Zlatan" Raphael – vocals, writer * Balogun "Seyi Vibez" Oluwaloseyi - vocals, writer * Prince "Ya Levis Dalwear" Nemiala - vocals, writer * P.Priime - production * ePianoh - production * Telz - production * BabyBeatz - production * Magicsticks - production * Yung Willis - production * Jhay2unez - production * T Mode - production * Ragee - production * Blaisebeatz - production * Jaytunes - production

Release history

References

{{reflist Afrobeats albums Amapiano albums Yoruba-language albums 2024 debut albums Albums produced by P.Priime Albums produced by Magicsticks Albums produced by Blaisebeatz